In March of 1979, a dear friend of mine and I were traveling through Europe. One afternoon while touring southern France, we visited an old castle in Nice—one in which Picasso lived. During his stay of one year or so, he produced many famous and many not-so-famous paintings. The castle is now a museum and there are many of his works displayed there. One series of images depicts assorted mythical creatures standing along a beach with a pale blue sky and a bright sun in the background. In several of these paintings there is a centaur and woman. These pictures are the seed from which this story was grown.

The day after visiting the museum, my friend and I drove north through the central region of France on our way to Paris. The day was absolutely brilliant. The sky was a perfect azure and it was full of puffy white clouds that seemed to roll along at a leisurely pace.

The opening part of Chapter One reflects the mood of that day. Further details in this story (and others that I have written) originated during the long flight home and in the weeks and months following my return from Europe.

This story is my version of the Adam and Eve Creation Story found in Genesis. The story is dedicated to my friend Bruce—with whom I traveled that day—and my friend Ann—who was the inspiration for the Arianna character.